West Point Island
| West Point Island | |
 West Point Island | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
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| Area: | 4.85 square miles |
| Highest point: | Mount Misery, 1,211 feet |
| Data | |
West Point Island (originally known as Albatross Island) is one of the Falkland Islands, lying west of West Falkland. It has an area of 4.85 square miles and is run as a sheep farm by R.P. McGill of Carcass Island.[1]
History
Like many locations around the Falkland Islands, West Point was a popular site for slaughtering seals and penguins for oil, at the turn of the 19th century. Overkill helped to end this industry in the area.
The island was established as a farm in the 1860s, by the Napier family.[2]
Wildlife and plantlife
Wildlife on West Point includes rockhopper penguins, black-browed albatrosses and Commerson's dolphins. The Felton Plant, which was named after the current owner's great uncle who discovered it, also grows here.[2] It is fairly rare in the Falkland Islands, being found only in a few locations such as Tea Island, but there is quite a lot of it here.
The island gardens have a fairly wide selection of introduced plants including roses, foxgloves, daisies, kniphofia etc.[2] Unusually for the Falklands, there are also a few trees. Other stands of trees can be found at Hill Cove on West Falkland and Carcass Island.
Geography
West Point Island lies off the north west point of West Falkland. It is 3.7 miles long with a maximum width of 2.5 miles and dramatic west-facing cliffs are more than 1,150 feet high. Further east, the highest point is Mount Misery at 1,211 feet[3] while West Point Island Settlement with its airstrip lie on Westpoint Cove in the north east.
The island is separated from West Falkland by the Wooly Gut channel, named after a particularly strong form of westerly wind in the Falklands that affects this channel.
It is south east of the Jason Islands, the nearest being South Jason Island.
Outside links
References
- ↑ PART II: Falkland Islands Important Bird Areas - West Point Island group
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Wigglesworth, Angela. (1992) Falkland People. Pub. Peter Owen. ISBN 0-7206-0850-3
- ↑ http://www.falklandsconservation.com/wildlife/birds/IBAs/iba_west_point.pdf
